


seven days

by kaisutama



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Crush, Bonding over tea, Class Differences, Cliche, Cute Ending, Edelgard and Hubert are adoptive siblings, Family Issues, First Meetings, Fluff, Hubert's kinda geeky and Ferdinand is a prep, M/M, POV Hubert von Vestra, Pining, other characters not mentioned in tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27396685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaisutama/pseuds/kaisutama
Summary: What was there for Hubert to admire about Ferdinand? His wealth? His thousands of friends? His reputation? Ferdinand had it all, according to the gossip floating around the school. Some have said his house could rival the White House with the amount of rooms it had; Others said something about a von Aegir theme park.Of course, those were only rumours.“Why do you stare at me so much?” Hubert caught himself off-guard, flustered - staring at Ferdinand, again. He quickly turned away, more red than Sylvain’s hair. Ferdinand laughed, “I know that you either have something against me, or you want me.”
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. day one

**Author's Note:**

> my first ferdibert fic! yaaaay! *cricket noises* 
> 
> anyways, i hope this satisfies the ferdibert fans out there! from, a fellow ferdibert fan. i also decided to take the prep x geek trope and put my own little spin on it, since i fucking hate bully x victim fics (ferdinand isn't a bully in this, so hubert's safe) 
> 
> btw, edelgard and hubert are siblings, while they're also step-siblings to dimitri (but hubert is adopted). just wanna add that ;0
> 
> named after "seven days" by NCT Dream!

Hubert spotted him outside on the football field, his orange hair gleaming in the light, his dashing smile more blinding than the sun. He wore a dark green jumper complimenting his eyes, headphones wrapped around his neck as he rambled on about what flavour of tea he preferred — green tea, hibiscus or Earl Grey. Even his voice attracted Hubert — he wasn’t too loud but not so quiet that Hubert could hear the Earth rotating. 

Ferdinand was his name — apparently he was the heir to the von Aegir Corporation, one of the leading companies producing technology like it was nobody’s business. Yet, with how Ferdinand presented himself, he didn’t even  _ look _ that wealthy. Not that it was Hubert’s place to judge him at first glance. And surely, it was not that he felt envious of Ferdinand or his background. If anything, Hubert enjoyed his current life — luxurious without the wealth.

Hubert lived with Edelgard for most of his life. He never experienced living in a family per se, although he considered Edelgard a dear sister. Ever since his damn father left. Ever since his damn mother kicked Hubert out. Ever since his older sister suddenly became “too busy” to take care of Hubert as a child. 

Edelgard and her family graciously took Hubert in, adopted him if you will. They gave him a new experience — familial love. Since the age of six, Hubert was a von Hresvelg, and not a von Vestra. Sure, he paid back his family by taking extra care of Edelgard, but he finally received something he’d thought he didn’t deserve.

It took him so long to get to where he was today — standing underneath the bleachers of the football field, staring idly at  _ the  _ Ferdinand von Aegir. Certainly, Ferdinand was too busy with his peers to pay Hubert any mind. Being the socialite type, if anything, must have been tough for Ferdinand, but the latter refused to show it.

Hubert caught himself off-guard when Edelgard walked over with a cup of coffee. The other cup in her hand smelled of tea — maybe herbal or green, Hubert couldn’t tell. “They were out of cream,” she said as she passed the plastic cup over to Hubert. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine,” Hubert answered as he reached for his cup of coffee. It wasn’t odd for Edelgard to frequently ask Hubert how he was feeling, especially since Hubert very rarely opened up to her. Despite their closeness, Hubert was a lock with no key. Edelgard spilled out every worry, fear, idea to Hubert, only to have silence reciprocated with each question about the latter. 

Edelgard frowned, “You’re always telling me that you’re fine, but then I catch you staring off into space. You know you can’t hide secrets from me, Hubert.”

“It’s nothing to concern yourself with,” Hubert reciprocated. “I don’t need you worrying about me, Edelgard. I can care for myself.”

“You’re always hiding from me,” Edelgard sighed. She followed Hubert’s gaze, mauve—coloured irises scanning the subject in front of the two. She cleared her throat, “You’re staring at Ferdinand.”

“I am not.”

“Then what’s so enlightening to you?”

“Nothing.”

The short, one-sided conversation was cut short, currently disrupted by laughter filling the area. The ruckus seemed to come from Ferdinand and his group of friends. Hubert stared down at the floor, uncertain. 

In all honesty, he would much rather die than have to admit to Edelgard that he found  _ Ferdinand  _ interesting. Everyone in the academy viewed Ferdinand as both a blessing and a curse. With the way he bragged about his father’s company, to the way he showed off his luxurious new convertible, Ferdinand’s presence alone was a mixed baggie of opinions among the school’s population. He was studious, he certainly had amazing looks and a charming aura. But on the other side of things, he was stuck—up, proud and aggravating. 

“You’re staring again,” Edelgard said, this time with a gentle laugh. She crushed her now empty cup of tea (how long  _ was  _ Hubert staring for?) and walked over to the nearest rubbish bin, throwing her rubbish away. “Are you sure you’re ‘fine’? You don’t need to lie to me.”

“I’ll figure it out,” Hubert responded, almost absentmindedly. This wasn’t like him at all — if anything, people stare at  _ Hubert,  _ but not in an admiring way. It was more judgmental, more scorning than awe. Who would even find Hubert interesting, anyways? Normally he’d ignore it, brush it off like dust, but for some odd reason — it affected him. And Hubert couldn’t handle it anymore.

Edelgard furrowed her eyebrows. “Will you, now?” 

“You seem to doubt me.”

“Oh, no, not at all.”

A cold chill brushed past the duo, Edelgard reaching to pull Hubert’s scarf up. “You’re freezing.”

“And?”

Edelgard rolled her eyes, “I’m only trying to help. Come, now. It’s almost time to head home. Or do you have football practise?” 

“I don’t play,” Hubert admitted. He couldn’t admit that he stayed for practise, only to watch. He didn’t have any friends who played football — hell, he didn’t have friends at all in this cursed school — but he silently expressed an interest in watching. His gaze fixated over to Ferdinand, who was walking away with his group of friends. 

“Oh, so you watch?” Edelgard asked. What was it with her and her questions? She quickly added, “I could never really see you in a football uniform, anyways.” 

Hubert agreed — silently, anyways — as the two walked the other direction. Before they rounded to the next corner, a loud voice echoed from nearby. Hubert glanced around, spotting a familiar face running onto the field, wearing a bright blue-and-green football uniform with the school logo. 

“Hubert,” Edelgard called, beckoning the taller male over. “Let’s head home.” She reached for her adoptive brother’s wrist, pulling him farther and farther away from Ferdinand, until he was no longer in sight.


	2. day two

Hubert dreaded physical education class. 

He didn’t have any talent in sports, nor could he even last running half of a mile on a whole damn field. It was pointless, and wouldn’t help him in the future. How would kicking a football or dribbling a netball help Hubert achieve his goal? 

It aggravated him to no end, as today was a running day. Hubert wished he could run away from this damn class, and maybe this damn _school._

Then, he’d be running from Ferdinand.

Just the thought of him made Hubert sick. Instead of asking to see Nurse Manuela, he simply took the rest of the class off, hiding underneath the bleachers; where he first caught a glance of Ferdinand. He prayed nobody would find him here — especially Ferdinand himself. 

His prayers weren’t answered, as usual. 

“I never took you for the rebel type even with your looks,” a chipper voice called. Hubert glanced away from his book, shutting it and placing it aside as another student crawled through the bleachers, sweat beaming down his reddened face. “Cutting class? What would the Professor say?”

Hubert glanced away, arms folded across his chest. 

“You don’t have to be so shy,” Ferdinand pestered on. “I sometimes need a break, too. After all, my reputation is a blessing and a curse.”

Hubert only continued to scorn. Could Ferdinand ever catch a _hint_? 

“All right, all right. I saw you yesterday with Edelgard,” Ferdinand continued. “You were staring at me. Like you wanted to say something, so go ahead.” 

Silence.

The two sat next to each other, only a couple of centimetres away. The bleachers were large but crammed, so there wasn’t enough legroom for more than one person. Ferdinand adjusted so Hubert could have more space, which only made things worse — and more uncomfortable, and _awkward._

“Do you always act like this to your peers?” Ferdinand asked, his voice sing—song. “What if you found the one and started treating her like—”

“Do you _always_ have to open your damn mouth when nobody’s listening?” Hubert retorted, glaring away. His chest ached, his heart was pounding; he could feel blood rushing all throughout his body, almost going numb. He despised showing any signs of anxiety around Ferdinand, yet failed to conceal the heavy redness of his face and ears. 

“Rude,” Ferdinand scoffed. “I’m only trying to strike a conversation with one of my admirers.” 

_Admirers?_ Hubert almost physically cringed. Was he an admirer in any way? All he did was stare — mindlessly — at Ferdinand on the football field yesterday. No way in _hell_ was Hubert a lovestruck puppy dog. He was more of a lone wolf, in all honesty. Or, that was what he’d like to think. 

“Don’t mistake me for one,” Hubert let out an aggravated sigh. An admirer was someone who dedicated his life to one specific person. He’d sacrifice everything to stay with the one person who made his life less of a living hell. Hubert was sort of like this towards Edelgard — definitely admiring her and her family for taking him in when he was lost and alone. 

What was there for Hubert to admire about _Ferdinand?_ His wealth? His thousands of friends? His reputation? Ferdinand had it all, according to the gossip floating around the school. Some have said his house could rival the White House with the amount of rooms it had; Others said something about a von Aegir _theme park._

Of course, those were only rumours. 

“Why do you stare at me so much?” Hubert caught himself off-guard, flustered — staring at Ferdinand, _again._ He quickly turned away, more red than Sylvain’s hair. Ferdinand laughed, “I know that you either have something against me, or you want me.”

 _Want_ , huh. What a joke. Ferdinand ought to be joking — who would _want_ an obnoxious, self—centred... _beautiful_ man like him in one’s life? Who would want to live a wealthy, stress-free life, where people _begged_ to become a part of that life? Who would want _Ferdinand von Aegir_?

 _Hubert_ would. He was one of the many idiots who used caution around Ferdinand, trying to refrain from humiliating himself, or saying the wrong things. What could Hubert even say to Ferdinand that wasn’t so... _humiliating?_

“You sound like wanting you is normal,” Hubert said, this time his voice was lowered, a little more quiet. “Is that how you view the world?”

“Not exactly, no,” answered Ferdinand. “If anything, I’m the one wanting the right person for me.” 

He stood up, nearly bumping his head with how tall he was.

“Anyways, you’d better return to class. We don’t want the teacher to lose her marbles catching us ditching.”

The two crawled out from underneath the bleachers, Ferdinand dusting his clothes off. Of course he would; one spec of dirt on his _gym uniform_ , and it was all over. The world would stop spinning.

“What’s your name, by the way?” 

Hubert clutched his book to his chest closely. Ah, Ferdinand had no clue who he was talking to — was this normal? 

“Hubert.”

“Hubert... why does that name — Oh, _I know!_ So you’re Edelgard’s cousin or something?”

“Brother.”

Ferdinand stretched his arms behind his head, staring up at the sky. “I had no clue she had another sibling. You don’t resemble each other at all.”

“I was adopted.”

“From where?”

“Wyoming.”

Ferdinand’s eyes twinkled in what one could assume interest. Was Hubert revealing too much? It was too late to tell, as the gym teacher called for her students to change up and return to the main campus building. 

“Well, Hubert, I’m glad to make your acquaintance,” Ferdinand chirped. “Maybe we should attend class together, like true good students. What do you say?”

Hubert glanced away. What would happen if he said no, or told Ferdinand to fuck off, to leave him alone to his continuous habit of staring? Ferdinand was _extraordinarily_ popular — so much that even the principal feared him, even allowing Ferdinand to arrive on campus by a _limousine._ Wasn’t Ferdinand already perfect enough?

“Hubert?” Ferdinand called out. 

“All right. What class do you have tomorrow?”

“Oh, you know, maths with Professor Byleth,” Ferdinand answered with a gentle hum. “He’s my favourite, actually. Very intelligent, very stern but he knows what he’s doing. You can’t ever catch him off-guard, no matter what.”

Ah, Professor Byleth — Hubert knew who Ferdinand was talking about. He was the advanced maths teacher, always strict to his students, but kind enough to listen to their worries and fears. Hubert also heard Byleth was in charge of the advice box, an anonymous form for students and staff to fill out and receive advice. Hubert used it once when he was a ninth grade student questioning his feelings for another boy, Linhardt. Those feelings have ever since faded when Linhardt ended up taking another student, Caspar to prom in eleventh grade. 

“He’s my last class,” Ferdinand continued. “Wednesday and Friday, and then I have a special tutoring session with him in the library after tea club on Friday’s. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind an extra student with me on that day.”

Just how _perfect_ was Ferdinand? 

“I suppose Friday will work better,” Hubert said with a meek shrug. “It’s not that I have anything else to worry about.”

“Not even Edelgard?” Ferdinand teased.

Hubert glanced away, unresponsive. If anything, Edelgard worried more for Hubert than herself. She constantly fretted for her best friend, even skipping school just to care for him when he fell ill. Hubert did worry for Edelgard, too much. She was his everything that someone like him could ask for — a sister, a teacher, a friend, all in one person. 

“I’ll let you get going,” Ferdinand quickly added, flashing one of his trademark smiles — the same one he’d use to woo girls with as well as impress the faculty. “Thanks for letting me hang out with you, Hubert. You’re not half-bad.”

Half-bad? Did that mean Ferdinand only liked half of Hubert? He shook this off, watching as Ferdinand turned on his heel and sauntered away, back over to the doors of the gymnasium. 

A cool breeze tickled Hubet’s skin; he pulled his scarf up closer to keep warmth. He decided to head back to the school, where Edelgard was waiting for him so the two could walk home together and talk about their day.


	3. day three

Edelgard was kept home from school due to a cold, so naturally Hubert stayed back. Despite the promise he made to Ferdinand, Hubert pushed his feelings aside for his sister, taking care of her while their parents were out working. Edelgard protested a few times, even calling Hubert overbearing, which was what she’d normally refer to him as when Hubert took extra care of her. 

A few times she tried to stand up and walk to the kitchen and find a snack, only to have Hubert guide her back to the sofa with a pack of crackers in hand. The TV played some kind of film, the film being Edelgard’s choice. Hubert couldn’t understand anything the characters were doing on the screen, but watched with a slight interest while Edelgard ate her small snack.

“Didn’t you say you spoke with Ferdinand yesterday?” Edelgard asked during the commercial break. She broke her graham cracker in half for Hubert, who’d usually deny sweets but took it graciously. “What did _he_ have to say? Was he comparing himself to me?”

“No, surprisingly,” Hubert answered, turning the volume down as he laid back in the recliner. “He asked if I’d like to join him for his tea club.”

“Oh, I know what club that is,” Edelgard sniffled as she bit into the side of her cracker. “Lorenz is the president, and I think Sylvain is part of it. Those two are obnoxious, so I would be careful.” 

“I’m aware,” Hubert rolled his eyes. “The entire school licks the ground Ferdinand walks on, so I cannot imagine what they think of those two.”

Edelgard forced a weak laugh, adjusting her position on the sofa so she was sitting up. “I can’t seem to remove that visual out of my head. Then again,” she reached for her warm tea Hubert made for her earlier. “Those three are the talk of the halls. Dimitri and Claude are, too, but they’re not very relevant, are they?”

“Dimitri is the football captain,” Hubert pointed out. “As for Claude, I believe he’s head of the student government. So, it’s safe to assume the five of them are very well-liked. And for you,” Hubert’s voice trailed off. He caught himself staring — at Edelgard. 

“Hubert?”

“Sorry,” Hubert apologised. “You were saying?”

“ _You_ were saying something,” Edelgard teased lightly. “About Ferdinand inviting you to his club.” 

“Oh.” A scarlet blush rose across Hubert’s cheeks. “Yes, that’s correct. I accepted his invite, though I’m unsure. I don’t like tea.”

“You can bring coffee,” Edelgard suggested. “Mother brought more home from the supermarket just for you, actually. I can make you some—”

“Not right now,” Hubert quickly protested, sitting up. “Though, I appreciate it, as always. And thank you for the other day.” 

“It was the least I could do,” Edelgard laid back down, snuggling into her warm duvet. 

Hubert reached for the remote and changed the channel, while Edelgard dozed off. The rest of their evening was quiet; their parents returned home from work, Edelgard’s mother asking questions such as if Edelgard ate enough or if Hubert was feeling well. All to which Hubert answered with “Yes, Mother”, “No, Mother”, and “Okay, Mother”. 

After dinner, Hubert excused himself and went straight up to his bedroom, the door closing behind him. Figuring that getting his dumb homework out of the way would spare him any stress, he reached for his bag and grabbed his book. Something was sticking out from one of the pages, an orange sticky-note Hubert hadn’t seen. He plucked it out from his book and read the note. The handwriting was loopy and hard to make out, but Hubert managed (he, too, had rough handwriting!).

 _Hubie,_  
Thanks for talking with me! Cant wait for tea club Friday. You’ll meet my friends! Hope to see you there! :)  
~ Ferdinand 

_PS: My phone number is 555-_

_Hubie_? The nickname made Hubert’s cheeks burn twice as hot as the sun itself.

Hubert set the note down and reached for his phone on his desk, entering the number immediately into his contacts. His face reddened at the thought of seeing Ferdinand _tomorrow_ , having to face him after days — _weeks_ — of staring at him, thinking of him without realisation. What would Ferdinand think of Hubert tomorrow? Would he discard him for some girl? What if this was a ploy to get back at Edelgard for some unknown reason, by _using_ Hubert? 

Hubert was not stupid — he was on top of Ferdinand's game, for sure. Remembering the rumours circulating Sylvain, one of Ferdinand's friends, as a heartbreaker and a skirt-chaser, Hubert knew he'd need to prepare for any kind of humiliation on Friday. He was not going to let his feelings fool him, nor was he going to let Ferdinand get the best of him.

He was overreacting, he ought to be. Hubert never worried about his reputation, let alone what the whole fucking _school_ thought of him as. He was the adoptive brother to Edelgard, the smartest student in the school — if _that_ meant anything. _'Maybe this is a prank,_ _'_ Hubert thought as he put his phone away and hid the sticky-note in his desk drawer. He walked over to his bed and laid down, resting his arm against his forehead. He did feel a little warm, but thought nothing of it. 

He couldn't skip school over one person, except for Edelgard.

Tomorrow was going to be long, for sure. And Friday — Hubert didn't want to think of Friday.


	4. day four

"You're late," Lysithea scolded, arms crossed as she tapped her foot. "Everyone was waiting for you, you know? I told them you'd be here by seven, but here you are — late!" 

Hubert ignored the younger girl, finding a seat next to Linhardt, who dozed off with his head against the table. Hubert couldn't understand why his mother made him join a morning book club, especially since he already knew how to read. The school had multiple programs for students, most of them run by students too. Lysithea was in charge of the book club, although she was too childish in Hubert's opinion. She was better off working for the drama club. 

"Well, since everyone is accounted for, I think we should start with our preferences. What's everyone's favourite genre?" Lysithea asked as she passed around some papers. The writing was handwritten, so Lysithea must've wrote all of these by herself. It was impressive, to say the least.

"I am preferring adventure," one student named Petra spoke. "My favourite is when they are hunting to be finding the... _to find_ the treasure."

"Oh, we're writing, not speaking," Lysithea inquired, tapping her pencil on the paper in front of her. "After everyone finishes their form, I'll collect them and then we—"

The door suddenly slammed open as a young man with sunset-orange hair staggered in, sweat beading down his face. "I apologise for my tardiness, Lysithea!" 

Hubert felt his entire world shrinking. 

_Ferdinand_. 

"Again? Come _on_ , Ferdinand, this is the second time!" Lysithea complained. "Go take a seat next to Hubert. He's new so you're better off telling him how things work around here!"

Ferdinand glanced over towards the direction of Hubert, flashing him his trademark smile. "Hubie, you're here!" He called out, walking over and pulling a seat out. He sat down, cupping his hands against the table. "I had no clue you were in the book club. We'll be seeing each other quite a lot."

That cursed nickname again. Hubert glanced away, focusing on the assignment handed out. He picked his pen up and wrote down whatever genre he could think of — he didn't have a preference, couldn't _think_ of one with Ferdinand staring at him. Shouldn't it be the other way around, with Hubert staring at the other? He sighed, crossing out a letter, before setting his pen down.

"You spelled 'fantasy' wrong," Ferdinand pointed out. "There's no 'D'."

"I'm _aware_ ," Hubert snapped, spelling the word out on the paper. 

"I'm only trying to help," Ferdinand raised his hands up in defence. "You're acting a little on edge. Was it something I said? Or..." He inched a little closer — _too_ close for comfort. "Maybe you don't like me anymore?"

Hubert's face heated up, blood rushing to his cheeks. The grip against his pen tightened, almost snapping it in half. If only he could inject all the ink into his skin and allow himself to _rot_ , he would. But who'd take care of Edelgard? He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind as Ferdinand moved away, giving Hubert more breathing room.

_ “Why do you stare at me so much?” _ Hubert recalled Ferdinand asking him the other day. _“I know that you either have something against me, or you want me.”_

"I don't want you near me," Hubert snapped, unaware that the entire room stared at him with how unusually loud his voice was. "Can you piss off for a change and leave me _alone_?! You're obnoxious, and you're pushing me to my limit!"

Ferdinand blinked a few times. Linhardt picked his head up, rubbing his eyes. Petra and Lysithea glanced up from their paperwork to stare in confusion.

Hubert picked up his paper and pen before pushing his chair in, leaving the library with thoughts of regret trailing after him.

* * *

"What has you troubled?" Professor Byleth approached Hubert during lunch hour, where Hubert chose to linger in the park near the school. Byleth had always been concerned for his students, especially since he could tell when something was off. Hubert yelling was certainly out of character, and Hubert himself was aware. He didn't need anyone's sympathy — it was his own damn mouth running, so it was _his_ damn fault.

Hubert set his book down and sighed. "Nothing, Professor."

"You know I'm here if something is bothering you," Professor Byleth continued. "Lysithea approached me with some concerns, as did Edelgard—"

"They're worrying too much," Hubert quickly retorted. "Now, can I _please_ have my space?"

Byleth massaged his temples as he sat down on the grass criss-crossed. "If Edelgard is concerned for you, then it must be serious. I understand it's difficult adjusting to a new school ever since—"

Byleth cut himself off as Hubert stood up to walk away. As if on impulse, Byleth stood and reached for Hubert's wrist — the same way Edelgard did the other day. 

"I hope whatever is wrong, gets better," Byleth said, letting go. "You haven't been acting like yourself. Are you getting enough sleep? Do you need to see Nurse Manuela?"

Hubert shook his head. Byleth, if truth be told, was very similar to Edelgard. They worried a lot, they asked lots of questions, they _cared_ for Hubert. Yet, at the same time, Byleth was more fatherly, more stern and desiring nothing but the truth. Edelgard, on the other hand, spared Hubert of any more personal questions, leaving him to his thoughts. She knew better than to invade Hubert's privacy, already knowing his past. That was enough for her. In Hubert's mind, anyways.

"Well, please," Byleth implored. "If you do have any concerns, make sure you speak with me. I'm always happy to help out the older brother to Edelgard." Hubert noticed a gentle smile crossing the Professor's face. It was a rare sight, only a few have seen him smile genuinely. What did Hubert even do to deserve such kindness? He was quiet, albeit a shadow of Edelgard. She was showered with praise, and Hubert was there to simply follow. 

Not that he hated it. He despised attention, even though he never received any of it growing up, until Edelgard's family won in court and officially adopted Hubert as one of their own. 

"Thank you, Professor. From the bottom of my heart," Hubert managed to say. "It helps to have someone listen."

"Any time, Hubert," Professor Byleth replied. 

The bell chimed in the distance, Byleth leaving to hurry and begin his next session. Hubert remained in the park for a little while longer. Again — he was alone with his thoughts. 

* * *

**_9:45 PM  
_ ** **_Ferdinand:_ ** _Hubert?_

Hubet's notifications disrupted him from his game. Normally he'd never play video games, not without Edelgard or even Dimitri playing a session with him. He paused his game, _Skyrim_ , and opened his phone up. He wanted to throw up so badly, just reading the sender of the text.

_**9:46 PM  
Hubert:** what_

**_Ferdinand:_ ** _I just want to apologise if I upset you.  
_ _I'm really worried for you.  
Edelgard and I fought._

**_Hubert:_ ** _you better not have hurt her, or else_

**_9:51 PM  
Ferdinand:_ ** _No, no. No violence.  
_ _She told me everything.  
Your father left, didn't he? And your sister?_

**_Hubert:_ ** _the fuck do they have to do with anything_

**_Ferdinand:_ ** _It's... complicated.  
Look, you don't mind if we meet tomorrow?  
Like we originally scheduled._

Hubert, again, felt sick to his stomach. Part of him wanted to get rid of his supper and go to bed, but the other part of him told him to sit still. He hesitated for a few minutes, until his phone vibrated.

_**9:56 PM  
** _ _**Ferdinand:** _ _You don't have to forgive me if I hurt you  
But just know I think you're nice   
We may not have talked much, but I wanna get to know you more  
Not to sound weird or anything, but... wanna hang out Saturday?   
After we clear everything up._

Hang out? What did that even _mean_? Hubert hesitated, his thumbs hovering over his phone keyboard. He bit his bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood. What on Earth was Ferdinand planning? He sighed and responded back;

_**10:00 PM  
** _ **_Hubert:_ ** _fine  
_ _also you did nothing wrong_

**_Ferdinand:_ ** _Good! See you then, Hubie! :)_

Hubert tossed his phone on his desk, quickly closing out of his game. He forgot to save, but it didn't really matter as much — he sucked at _Skyrim_ anyway. 

He struggled to sleep that night, tossing and turning, his mind full of what-if scenarios and unwanted thoughts. Ferdinand was the only thing—the only _person_ —Hubert could think of at the moment. Yet, he failed to decipher his own thoughts. His feelings were certainly mixed, and only time could tell.

_ Do I really hate Ferdinand? He did nothing wrong, _ Hubert told himself this over and over again as he finally drifted off to sleep.


	5. day five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE SLOW UPDATE! stuff has been going on with my mental health and i've been less inspired recently. but i hope this doesn't disappoint! enjoy, and thank you so much for the 30+ kudos on my dimileth fic "poem"!!

The day felt too long for Hubert to handle, exhaustion taking over as he struggled to keep up with everything going on around him. This wasn’t like him whatsoever, and even his classmates expressed a little bit of concern. They asked Edelgard, who also hadn’t a clue as to what was going on. She pulled him aside during their first break and questioned him. 

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay? I hope I didn’t get you sick.”

Hubert laughed weakly, quiet enough so only the two could hear. “No, I’m okay. It’s nothing, Edelgard.”

“You always say it’s nothing, and that’s where I’m very concerned.”

“Do you not trust me?”

Edelgard fell silent for a moment, only to shake her head. “Of course I trust you, Hubert. I’m only worried for you. You haven’t been yourself since encountering Ferdinand, is all.”

Hubert opened up his locker and pulled out one of his textbooks. A note fell from his locker, and so he quickly picked it up. 

“A love letter?” Edelgard teased. “Who knew my older brother was the talk among the girls here?” 

“I’m not,” Hubert denied as he put the letter away in his book-bag. “Class is about to begin. I have Professor Byleth since I’ve changed my classes.”

“Why? That’s Ferdinand’s—“

“I’d figure a challenge in maths is what I need,” Hubert quickly disrupted his sister. Failing to conceal a small blush scurrying across his face, Hubert turned tail and quickly hurried to his next class. 

* * *

Hubert struggled to pay any attention to the Professor, either sneaking onto his phone to check the news, or flipping through his textbook and studying a completely different lesson. He wasn’t even reading any of the words or looking through the equations, either. He could only worry about Ferdinand. Questions more challenging than the ones in his book lingered through his mind, most of them regarding if he was too harsh on Ferdinand, especially regarding his first impression. 

He snapped at Ferdinand  _ three bloody times _ throughout the week, without apologising. Hubert was taught to display kindness, apologising when necessary. He could barely walk past Ferdinand while finding his desk, let alone look into his glossy orange eyes. Something was completely off about Ferdinand, too, with the way he barely spoke to any of his friends during the class’s partnered lessons. 

Hubert was assigned to work with Yuri, who was neither a friend or enemy. In fact, he was among the very popular students, but kept to himself and was very level headed. Hubert didn’t mind his presence; after all, it wasn’t like Yuri was out to get anyone. 

They worked on their maths project, occasionally exchanging feedback, although Hubert caught himself off-guard as Ferdinand stood up from his group and made his way over to the table nearby. The table Hubert was seated at. 

Ferdinand pulled up a chair across from Hubert, his hands folding on the table. “Geometry?” 

“No, it’s fractions,” Hubert answered, flipping the page of his book. He skimmed the page, unable to decipher anything the book talked about. “Did you need something?”

“My group is slacking off,” Ferdinand complained as he reached for a pencil on the desk and grabbed for a spare piece of paper. “They’re all playing games or talking about something completely irrelevant, so I’ve decided that if I do not want my grades to cease, I should actually find work.”

“That’s very noble of you,” Yuri inquired with a playful tone. “I’m assuming you’re not going to step up, then?”

“I have tried,” Ferdinand sighed. “They simply won’t listen!”

Ferdinand’s eyes averted downward, scanning Hubert’s maths sheet. He gave a light smile and pointed to a number. “That’s not correct, the larger number should be on the bottom. To divide the fractions, you need to switch the second fraction’s numbers around and multiply them across.”

Ferdinand moved closer to Hubert, their shoulders barely touching. Hubert felt heat rise against his cheeks, as if his entire face was on fire and he couldn’t extinguish it. Ferdinand was so... intelligent. Of course fractions were basic maths, Hubert was taught them in grade four! 

Yet, hearing Ferdinand explain them was oddly calming. Just having Ferdinand talk was calming overall.

The three of them worked on their project, with Ferdinand and Yuri exchanging some banter, while Hubert sat quietly and worked on one of the next problems. It was less intimidating with Yuri around, but Ferdinand - despite his relaxing demeanor - was causing Hubert to sweat bullets. What if he messed up in front of Ferdinand? Would he laugh? Spread rumours? Humiliate him while visiting the cafe tomorrow? 

The bell rang for dismissal. As Hubert packed his things to head home, Ferdinand lightly tapped his shoulder. He jumped slightly, glaring daggers. “What is it?”

“I wanted to invite you to football practise,” Ferdinand beamed. “I had so much fun in class today, just by talking with you. I’d love to see you there!”

“I never cared for sports,” Hubert muttered as he quickly turned away.

“But you care enough to watch me block the ball,” Ferdinand teased. “I promise it’ll be fun! We usually watch films after practise.” 

The offer was tantalising for sure, but Hubert questioned it. Going back to his what-if theories, he hesitated with accepting the offer. Though, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. “Fine, I’ll be there.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ferdinand exclaimed. “I’ll let Edelgard know you’ll be there -”

“How do you have her phone number?” Hubert quickly asked. He mentally slapped himself for asking a dumb, if not irrelevant question. “I mean, you had a fight with her, correct?”

“That was in person,” Ferdinand shrugged. “And it’s a long story. I’ll explain everything soon, I promise.” 

* * *

Watching a bunch of sweaty guys on a football field was the least bit enticing. 

But watching Ferdinand block a bunch of shots, catching the ball, his long hair covering part of his face... it was, to say the least, enjoyable. Ferdinand was  _ skilled _ . 

The only times Hubert didn’t fall asleep were during scrimmages, where Ferdinand played the game even harder. Part of Hubert wanted to join in, just to get closer to Ferdinand, maybe catch a glimpse of his uniform jersey rising -

Hubert mentally slapped himself, again. Where the hell did those...  _ thoughts  _ originate from? Ferdinand expressed having “too many” admirers, Hubert being one of them (secretly, of course). So, he was sure many have thought of the same things. This wasn’t normal. At all.

Soon enough, practise was over. Ferdinand wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm, a smile plastered across his red cheeks. Instead of returning to the locker room as instructed, Ferdinand made his way over to Hubert.

“Did you see how Lorenz fell on his face?” He asked, eventually rambling on about the practise, what Hubert missed and so forth. While he couldn’t pay attention, Hubert enjoyed Ferdinand’s voice. It wasn’t loud like the other preppy students’ voices, but it wasn’t too quiet. Ferdinand was a happy medium, really.

A moment or so later, it was already dusk. Ferdinand went to the locker room and changed back into his normal attire, with Hubert waiting outside on his phone. When Ferdinand finished up and stepped out, he cleared his throat.

“So, my parents will be out this weekend,” he said. “I was wondering if you wanted to stay at my house for the weekend? We can still go to the cafe like promised.”

“Wait, what?” Hubert nearly dropped his phone. This was most certainly an odd invitation,  _ especially  _ one coming from someone as prominent and successful as Ferdinand von Aegir. Was this some joke? Was Ferdinand trying to get back at Hubert for something? 

Too many thoughts clouded Hubert’s mind to even process the invitation. He hesitated,  _ yet again _ , with his response. 

“I don’t... I’ve never really...”

“I don’t mind if you stay and head home later on,” Ferdinand quickly added. “I’d really like to spend time with you, Hubert. You’ve been so nice to me and it... it feels great being treated  _ normally _ !” 

“Normally?” 

“I love the attention,” Ferdinand confessed. “I love how I’m the centre of most women’s worlds, and I  _ especially  _ love how I’ve befriended someone like you.” 

“Someone like me, huh?”

“Don’t take that the wrong way,” Ferdinand blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’ve had sets on Edelgard for some time, trying to surpass her. I believe that I can be a better student by pushing my own limits.”

Hubert couldn’t help but laugh wryly, “You’ll  _ never  _ find yourself near her level, let alone past it.” 

“Oh, that is where you are  _ wrong _ ,” Ferdinand pouted. “That’s... what our argument was about. And you were brought up.”

Hubert sighed, quickly adding, “Speak no more of that until tomorrow. I have a lot to process.”

“Fair enough. Let’s head over to my house, then?”


End file.
